Name : Phoebe Tu / 杜循君
Number : NA0C0009
Date : Mar. 31, 2013
Subject : 中英比對分析 / 翻譯
The Killers 殺手們 E. Hamingway 海明威
The door of Henry’s lunch-room opened and two men came in. They sat
down at the counter.二個男人打開 Henry’s 大門進來. 坐在櫃台.
‘What’s yours?’ George asked them.George 問:「要來點什
麼呢?」
‘I don’t know,’ one of the men said. ‘What do you want to
eat, Al?’ 其中一位回答:「不知, Al 你要吃啥?」
‘I don’t know,’ said Al. ‘I don’t know what I want to eat.’Al
回答:「啊知, 我也不知我要吃啥.」
Outside it was getting dark. The street light came on outside the
window. The two men at the counter read the menu. From the other
end of the counter Nick Adams watched them. He had been talking to
George when they came in. 天色漸暗. 窗外的街燈亮了起來. 二個人在
櫃台看著菜單. Nick Adams 在櫃台的另一端觀察著他們. 他們進門時,
他和 George 原本在聊天.
‘I’ll have a roast pork tenderloin with apple sauce and
mashed potatoes,' the first man said. 其中一個男人說:「我要來一份烤
里脊肉佐蘋果醬和洋芉泥.」
‘It isn’t ready yet.’ George 回答:「還沒有供應哦.」
‘What the hell do you put it on the card for?’ 「沒供應還印
在菜單上是哪招?」
‘That’s the dinner,’ George explained. ‘You can get that at
six o'clock.’George 回答:「那是晚餐,六點後才有賣.」
George looked at the clock on the wall behind the counter.George
看著櫃台後方牆上的鐘
‘It’s five o'clock’ 現在才五點
‘The clock says twenty minutes past five,’ the second man
said. 另一個男人說:「已經五點二十分了.」
‘It’s twenty minutes fast.’ 它快二十分鐘
‘Oh, to hell with the clock,’ the first man said. ‘What have
you got to eat?’ 哦, 管它個什麼鐘, 第一個男的說:「有賣什麼吃的?」
‘I can give you any kind of sandwiches,’ George said. ‘You
can have ham and eggs, bacon and eggs, liver and bacon, or a steak.’
George:「任何種類的三明治, 可以有火腿,雞蛋,鵝肝,培根,或牛排」
‘Give me chicken croquettes with green peas and cream
sauce and mashed potatoes.’「 給我來一份炸雞肉丸佐豌豆和奶醬加馬
鈴薯泥」
‘That’s the dinner.’ 那是晚餐
‘Everything we want’s the dinner, eh? That’s the way you
work it.’「我們點的都是晚餐嗎?是看你怎麼做吧?」
‘I can give you ham and eggs, bacon and eggs, liver –’ 「我
可以做的有火腿,雞蛋,鵝肝…」
‘I’ll take ham and eggs,’ the man called Al Said. He wore a
derby hat and a black overcoat buttoned across the chest. His face was
small and white and he had tight lips. He wore a silk muffler and gloves.
「我要火腿和雞蛋」叫做 Al 的男人回聲. 他戴著一頂窄邊圓帽,身穿黑
大衣釦到胸前. 他的臉小又白,唇緊閉著. 圍著絲質圍巾並戴著手套.
‘Give me bacon and eggs,’ said the other man. He was
about the same size as Al. Their faces were different, but they were
dressed like twins. Both wore overcoats too tight for them. They sat
leaning forward, their elbows on the counter. 另一個男人回答:「給我培
根和蛋.」他和 Al 體型相近. 長得不像,但穿得像雙胞胎一樣. 二人的大
衣都太緊身了. 他們前傾坐下,手肘靠在吧台上.
‘Got anything to drink?’ Al asked. Al 問:「有啥喝的?」
‘Silver beer, bevo, ginger-ale,’ George said. George 回:「銀
牌啤酒, Bevo 酒和薑汁啤酒」
‘I mean you got anything to drink?’ 「我是說飲料?」
‘Just those I said.’「就我剛才說的那幾種.」
‘This is a hot town,’ said the other. ‘What do they call it?’
‘Summit,’ 另一個男人說:「這個鎮超熱的, 叫什麼名字來
著?」「高峰」
‘Ever hear of it?’ Al asked his friend. ‘No,’ said the friend.
「有聽過嗎?」Al 問他朋友「沒有.」朋友回答.
‘What do you do here nights?’ Al asked. Al 問:「那晚上在這
那做啥?」
‘They eat the dinner,’ his friend said. ‘They all come here
and eat the big dinner.’ 他朋友回答:「吃晚餐, 大家都到這享用大餐」
‘That’s right.’ George said. 「沒錯.」George 回答.
‘So you think that’s right?’ Al asked George.「所以你覺得
這樣是正常的?」Al 反問 George.
‘Sure.’「當然.」
‘You’re a pretty bright boy, aren’t you?’ 「你真是個靈光的
小子,是吧?」
‘Sure,’ Said George. 「當然」George 回答.
‘Well, you’re not,’ said the other little man. ‘Is he, Al?’
‘He’s dumb,’ said Al. he turned to nick. 另一個頭較小的男
人說:「嗯, 你不是,」「他是嗎,Al?」
Al 轉向 Nick 回答: 「他是呆子.」
‘What’s your name?’ ‘Adams.’ 「你叫什麼名字呢?」「Adams」
‘Another Bright boy,’ Al said. ‘Ain’t he a bright boy, Max?’ 「另一個機
靈的小子,」Al 說. 他又說: 「Max, 他不是個機靈的小子嗎?」
‘The town’s full of bright boys,’ Max said. Max 回答:「這城
滿滿都是機靈的小子.」
George put down two platters, one of ham and eggs, the other of
bacon and eggs, on the counter. He set down two side dishes of fried
potatoes and closed the wicket into the kitchen. George 放了二個大淺盤
在吧台上, 一份是火腿和蛋, 另一份是培根和蛋. 他各擺上一道小菜-炸
馬鈴薯,又關上小門,走回廚房.
‘Which is yours?’ he asked Al. 他問 Al:「哪一份是你的呢?」
‘Don’t you remember?’ 「你不記得了嗎?」
‘Ham and eggs,’ 「火腿蛋」
‘Just a bright boy,’ Max said. He leaned forward and took
the ham and eggs. Both men ate with their gloves on. George watched
them eat. Max 說:「真是聰明.」他傾身去拿火腿蛋. 二個男人手套沒脫
就吃了起來. George 看著他們吃.
‘What are you looking at?’ Max looked at George.Max 看
著 George 說:「你看什麼看哪?」
‘Nothing.’ 「沒事.」
‘The hell you were. You were looking at me.’ 「見鬼了,你剛
才看著我是怎樣.」
‘Maybe the boy meant it for a joke max,’ Al said.
George laughed. Al 說:「也許這小子只是在開玩笑, Max.」George 笑一
笑
‘You don’t have to laugh,’ Max said to him. ‘You don’t
have to laugh at all, see?’
老師, 向您坦白, 以上的部份,是由我自己翻譯,英文單字雖簡單, 但因修
辭能力不足,翻譯後又一再修改流暢度,光上面就花了超過 5 小時,抱歉.
以下是參考網路資料,並用我自己的想法再做修改(紅色部份)
也花了我好幾個小時做[英文/中文]比對, 因為大陸用詞和台灣是不太相
同的.
一整天從中午到晚上十點,也是一種對比分析練習吧…
"你不用笑，"麥克斯對他說。"你根本就不用笑，懂嗎？"
"懂，懂，"喬治說。
"他認為懂了，"麥克斯對艾爾說，"他認為懂了。好樣的。"
"啊，他是個思想家，"艾爾說。他們又繼續吃。
"櫃台那頭那個聰明小子叫什麼名字？"艾爾問麥克斯。
"嗨，聰明小子，"麥克斯對尼克說，"你和那個朋友一起到櫃台另
一邊去。"
"現在是怎樣？"尼克說。
"不怎麼樣。"
"你還是過去吧，聰明小子，"艾爾說。尼克走到櫃台後面去。
"到底要幹嘛？"喬治問道。
"別管閒事，"艾爾說。"誰在廚房裡頭？"
"一個黑鬼。"
"黑鬼是幹什麼的？"
"那個黑鬼是廚子。"
"要他進來。"
"為何？"
"要他進來。"
"你們以為你們是在哪兒呀？"
"我們在哪兒，我他媽最清楚不過，"那個叫做麥克斯的人說，"我
們看來像傻瓜嗎？"
"你說傻話，"艾爾對他說。"你幹嗎要和這小子爭辯？聽著，"他對
喬治說，"要那個黑鬼出來，到這裡來。"
"你們打算要對他怎樣？"
"不怎麼樣。聰明小子，你用腦袋想想。我們會對一個黑鬼怎樣？"
喬治打開通向後邊廚房的小門。"薩姆，"他叫道，"進來一下。"
通向廚房那扇門一開，那個黑鬼進來了。"什麼事？"他問道。櫃台
邊那兩個人朝他一看。
"好，黑鬼。你就站在那兒，"艾爾說。
那個黑鬼薩姆，沒有解掉圍單就站在那裡，眼睛盯著坐在櫃台邊那
兩個人看。"是，先生，"他說。艾爾從凳子上下來。
"我要和這黑鬼和聰明小子一起回到廚房裡去，"他說。"回廚房裡
去，黑鬼。你同他一起走，聰明小子。"那個小個子走在尼克和廚子薩
姆後面，回到廚房裡去。他們走入後,門就關了。那個叫做麥克斯的人則
和喬治隔著櫃台面對面坐在那兒。他眼睛並不看著喬治，而是對著鑲在
櫃台後面那排鏡子看。亨利這家快餐小飯館是由一間酒吧改裝起來的。
"唔，聰明小子，"麥克斯一邊說，一邊眼睛望著鏡子，"你為什麼
不開開口？"
"這究竟是怎麼回事？"
"嗨，艾爾，"麥克斯高聲說，"聰明小子要知道究竟是怎麼一回事。
"
"你幹嗎不告訴他？"艾爾的聲音打廚房裡傳來。
"你認為這是怎麼回事？"
"我不知道。"
"你覺得怎樣？"
麥克斯在說話的時候，一直望著鏡子。
"我說不上來。"
"嗨，艾爾，聰明小子說他說不上來究竟是怎麼回事。"
"我聽到了，行，"艾爾從廚房裡說。他用番茄汁的瓶子把用來遞盆
子進廚房的小洞口撐開。"聽著，聰明小子，"他從廚房裡對喬治說。"
站過去點，站到賣酒吧台那邊去。你往左邊移一移，麥克斯。"他像個
攝影師拍團體照般指揮著。
"和我談談呀，聰明小子，"麥克斯說，"你認為會發生什麼事情呢？
"
喬治一言不發。
"我來告訴你，"麥克斯說。"我們準備殺一個瑞典佬。你可認識一
個大個子瑞典佬，叫做奧利‧安德烈森的？"
"認識。"
"他每天晚上都到這兒來吃晚飯，可不是嗎？"
"他有時候到這兒來。"
"他是在六點鐘到這兒來的，可不是嗎？"
"如果他來的話，是這時間。"
"我們全都知道，聰明小子，"麥克斯說。
"談點別的事兒吧。去看過電影嗎？"
"偶爾去一趟。"
"你應該多去看看電影。對於你這樣一個聰明小子說來，看電影可
開心了。"
"你們為什麼要殺奧利‧安德烈森？他有什麼對不起你們的地方？"
"他從來沒有機會對我們怎樣過。他連見也沒見我們。"
"他只是要和我們見一次面，"艾爾從廚房裡說。
"那你們為什麼要殺他呢？"喬治問道。
"我們是替一個朋友殺他的。只是受一個朋友之托，聰明小子。"
"住口，"艾爾從廚房裡說。"你他媽的話太多了。"
"唔，我得教聰明小子樂一樂。可不是嗎，聰明小子？"
"你他媽的話太多啦，"艾爾說。"這個黑鬼和我這個聰明小子可以
自得其樂。我把他們捆得像修道院裡的女孩一樣。"
"我還以為你真是在修道院裡呢。"
"天曉得。"
"你是在一個清靜的修道院裡，你就是待在那兒。"
喬治抬頭看看時鐘。
"如果有什麼人進來，你就對他們說，廚子出去啦，如果他們還是
賴著不走，你就告訴他們，你可以進去親自燒給他們吃。懂嗎，聰明小
子？"
"懂，"喬治說，"那麼，過後你打算怎麼處置我們呢？"
"那得看情況嘍，"麥克斯說。"這事是屬於那種一時之間不會有答
案的類型。"
喬治抬頭看看時鐘。六點一刻。臨街那扇門開開來了。一個市內電
車司機進來。
"喂，喬治，"他說。"有晚飯吃嗎？"
"薩姆出去啦，"喬治說。"他大約要半個鐘頭才回來。"
"那我還是上別的地方去吧，"那個司機說。喬治看看時鐘。六點二
十分。
"表現得真好哇,聰明小伙子，"麥克斯說。"你真是個優雅的小紳
士。"
"他知道我會轟他的腦袋，"艾爾從廚房裡說。
"不，"麥克斯說。"不是這樣。聰明小子很機靈。他是挺棒的。我
喜歡他。"
到了六點五十五分的時候，喬治說︰"他不會來了。"
這期間，小飯館裡已經來過另外兩個人。其中一個人要買一客"袋
裝"的火腿蛋三明治外帶，喬治有到廚房裡去備餐一下子。他在廚房裡
看到把禮帽戴在後腦勺的艾爾坐在便門旁邊的凳子上，一支鋸斷了的散
彈槍槍口擱在架子上。尼克和那廚子背靠背待在角落裡，嘴裡各塞著一
條毛巾。喬治做好了三明治，用油紙包好，放進紙袋裡，拿了進來，那
人付了錢後就走。
"聰明小子樣樣事情都會做，"麥克斯說。"他能燒能煮，樣樣都行。
任何女孩當你的老婆都會很幸福的，聰明小子。"
"是嗎？"喬治說。"你們那個朋友奧利‧安德烈森不打算來了。"
"我們再等他十分鐘，"麥克斯說。
麥克斯看看鏡子，又看看時鐘。指針指著七點鐘，接著是七點零五
分。
"出來，艾爾，"麥克斯說。"我們還是走吧。他不來了。"
"還是再等他五分鐘吧，"艾爾從廚房裡說。
到了五分鐘的時候，有個人進來，喬治說，廚子生病了。
"那你幹嗎不另找一個廚子？"那人問道。"你不是在開快餐小飯館
嗎？"他走了出去。
"出來，艾爾，"麥克斯說。
"這兩個聰明小伙子和這個黑鬼怎樣啦？"
"他們沒問題。"
"是嗎？"
"當然。咱們這就好啦。"
"我不喜歡這玩意兒，"艾爾說。"不乾脆。你話太多了。"
"啊，有啥道理，"麥克斯說。"我們總得樂一樂嘛，可不是嗎？"
"總之，你話太多了，"艾爾說。他打廚房裡出來。那支鋸掉了槍筒
的散彈槍在他那件太緊的大衣腰部顯得有點鼓鼓囊囊的。他用套著手套
的手把上衣拉拉挺。
"再見，聰明小子，"他對喬治說，"你運氣大大的好。"
"這倒是實話，"麥克斯說。"你應該去賭賭賽馬，聰明小子。"
他們倆走出門去。喬治透過窗門瞅著他們從弧光燈下面走過去，穿
過大街。他們穿著那麼包緊的大衣，戴著禮帽，樣子真像兩個耍雜技的。
喬治回身穿過轉門，走進廚房，為尼克和那個廚子鬆綁。
"我再也不要遇到這種事了，"廚子薩姆說。"再也不要了。"
尼克站了起來，他以前嘴裡從來沒有塞進過毛巾。
"哼，"他說:"什麼鬼啊？"他試著要耍氣魄來化解囧境。
"他們打算殺死奧利‧安德烈森，"喬治說。"他們準備趁他進來吃
飯的時候，把他槍殺了。"
"奧利‧安德烈森？"
"當然。"
那個廚子用兩只拇指摸摸嘴角。
"他們都走啦？"他問道。
"走啦，"喬治說。"他們都走啦。"
"我不喜歡這種事，"那個廚子說。"完全不喜歡這種事。"
"你聽好，"喬治對尼克說，"你最好還是去看一下奧利‧安德烈森
吧。"
"好。"
"你對這事情還是別插手，"廚子薩姆說，
"你最好別捲入。"
"如果你不想去，就別去，"喬治說。
"和這種事情攪在一起，對你並沒有什麼好處，"那個廚子說，"你
別去。"
"我去看他，"尼克對喬治說。"他住在哪兒？"
那個廚子轉身就走。
"小孩子都知道自己要幹什麼，"他說。
"他住在赫希的小公寓裡，"喬治對尼克說。
"我去找他。"
外面的弧光燈照在光禿禿的樹枝。尼克沿著車軌向街上走去，在另
一支弧光燈下拐彎，向一條小街走去。街上的第三幢房子就是赫希的小
公寓。尼克走上兩階，按了門鈴。一個婦女來開門。
"奧利‧安德烈森住在這兒嗎？"
"你要看他嗎？"
"是呀，如果他在的話。"
尼克跟著那婦女上樓，走回到走廊的盡頭。她敲敲門。
"誰呀？"
"有人要看你，安得烈森先生，"那個婦女說。
"我是尼克‧亞當斯。"
"進來。"
尼克打開門，走進房裡。奧利‧安德烈森穿著整齊地躺在床上。他
以前是個重量級拳擊手，他人高大，所以床顯得小。他頭枕著兩只枕頭。
他並沒有朝尼克看。
"怎麼啦？"他問道。
"我剛才在亨利小飯舖，"尼克說，"有兩個人進來，把我和廚子綁
起來，他們說準備殺死你。"
尼克說話的時，有點兒傻裡傻氣。奧利‧安德烈森不發一語。
"他們把我們弄到了廚房裡，"尼克繼續說下去。"他們打算趁你走
進去吃飯的時候，殺死你。"
奧利‧安德烈森望著牆壁，什麼也沒說。
"喬治認為我該來把情況告訴你。"
"這種事情，跟我說也沒辦法，"奧利‧安德烈森說。
"我可以跟你說，他們長怎樣。"
"我不想知道他們是啥樣子，"奧利‧安德烈森說。他望著牆壁。"
謝謝你來告訴我這情況。"
"沒什麼，沒什麼。"
尼克望著躺在床上的那個大漢。
"你要我去警察局跑一趟嗎？"
"不，"奧利‧安德烈森說。"沒什麼益處。"
"沒有事要我幫忙的嗎？"
"是呀，沒啥好幫的。"
"那也許只是在唬人吧。"
"不，那不是在唬人。"
奧利‧安德烈森翻過身去，面對著牆壁。
"唯一的事情是，"他向著牆壁說。"我就是不能拿定主意出去一下。
我整天躺在這兒。"
"你不能離開這個城嗎？"
"不能，"奧利‧安德烈森說。"這樣奔來趕去，我已經跑夠了。"
他望著牆壁。
"沒有什麼法。"
"你不能想個辦法，把這事情了結掉嗎？"
"不，我不是那個意思。"他用洩氣的聲音說。"沒有什麼事可做。
也許再過一會，我會打定主意出去一下。"
"我還是回去看看喬治，"尼克說。
"再見，"奧利‧安德烈森說，他眼睛並沒有朝尼克那邊看，"感謝
你來一趟。"
尼克出去了。他關門時，看到奧利‧安德烈森衣著整齊地躺在床上，
眼睛望著牆壁。
"他整天待在房裡，"女房東在樓下說。"我想他身體不大舒服。我
跟他說︰'奧利‧安德烈森先生，像這樣秋高氣爽的日子，你應該出去
散散步。'可是，他不喜歡。"
"他不想出去。"
"他身體不大舒服，真叫人難過，"那婦女說，"他是個極好的人。
他以前是拳擊場上的好手，你知道。"
"我知道。"
"除非看他的臉,否則,你不會知道他以前是打拳的，"那個婦女說。
他們就站在臨街的門廊裡談話。"他人真地很和氣。"
"好吧，晚安，赫希太太，"尼克說。
"我不是赫希太太，"那婦女說。"這地方是她的。我不過是替她看
房子。我是貝拉太太。"
"啊，晚安，貝拉太太，"尼克說。
"晚安，"那婦女說。
尼克從陰暗的大街走到弧光燈下的拐角處，然後沿著車軌走到亨利
小飯館。喬治在裡頭，在櫃台後面。
"你看到奧利啦？"
"看到了，"尼克說。"他在屋子裡，他不願意出去。"
那個廚子一聽到尼克的聲音，就打開廚房那扇門。
"這種話我連聽也不要聽，"他說道，又把門關上了。
"你把情況都告訴他了嗎？"喬治問道。
"當然。我告訴他了，可是，他什麼情況都知道了。"
"他打算怎辦？"
"不怎麼辦。"
"他們要殺他呀。"
"我想是這樣。"
"他一定是在芝加哥做了什麼事情。"
"我也這樣想，"尼克說。
"這真是糟糕的事情。"
"這是樁可怕的事情，"尼克說。
他們不再說什麼。喬治伸手到下面取了一條毛巾，擦擦櫃台。
"我不知道他幹了些什麼事？"尼克說。
"出賣了某人。因此他們要殺死他。"
"我要離開這個鎮了，"尼克說。
"好呀，"喬治說，"這是一件好事。"
"我忍不住想像著, 他這樣等在屋子裡，也明知道自己要碰上什麼
事情, 這太他媽的可怕了。"
"唔，"喬治說，"你還是別想這事情好了。"
‘All Right,’ said George.
‘So he think it's all right,’ Max turned to all. ’He thinks it's
all right. That’s a good one.’
‘Oh, he’s a thinker,’ Al said. They went on eating.
‘What’s the bright boy’s name down the counter? Al asked
Max.
‘Hey, bright boy,’ Max said to Nick. ‘You go around on the
other side of the counter with your boy friend.’
‘What’s the idea?’ Nick asked.
‘You better go around, bright boy,’ Al said. Nick went
around behind the counter.
‘What’s the idea?’ George asked.
‘None of your damn business,’ Al said. ‘Who’s out in the
kitchen?’
‘The nigger.’
‘What do you mean the nigger?’
‘The nigger that cooks.’
‘Tell him to come in,’
‘What’s the idea?’
‘Tell him to come in,’
‘Where do you think you are?’
‘We know damn well where we are,’ the man called Max
said. ’Do we look silly?’
‘You talk silly,’ Al said to him. ‘What the hell do you argue
with this kid for? Listen,’ he said to George, ‘tell the nigger to come out
here.’
‘What are you going to do to him?’
‘Nothing. Use your head, bright boy. What would we do to
a nigger?’
George opened the slip that opened back into the kitchen. ‘Sam,’
he called. ‘Come in here a minute.’
The door of the kitchen opened and the nigger came in. ‘What
was it?’ he asked. The two men at the counter took a look at him.
‘All right, nigger. You stand right there,’ Al said.
Sam, the nigger, standing in his apron, looked at the two men
sitting at the counter. ‘Yes, sir,’ he said. Al got down from his stool.
‘I’m going back to the kitchen with the nigger and bright
boy,’ he said. ‘Go back to the kitchen, nigger. You go with him, bright
boy.’ The little man walked after Nick and Sam, the cook, back into the
kitchen. The door shut after them. The man called Max sat at the
counter opposite George. He didn’t look at George but looked in the
mirror that ran along back of the counter. Henry’s had been made over
from a saloon into a lunch-counter.
‘Well, bright boy,’ Max said, looking into the mirror, ‘why
don’t you say something?’
‘What’s it all about?’
‘Hey, Al,’ Max Called, ‘bright boy wants to know what it’s
all about.’
‘Why don’t you tell him?’ Al’s Voice came from the kitchen.
‘What do you think it’s all about?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘What do you think?’
Max looked into the mirror all the time he was talking.
‘I wouldn’t say.’
‘Hey Al, bright boy says he wouldn’t say what he thinks it’s
all about.’
‘I can hear you, all right,’ Al said from the kitchen. He had
propped open the slit that dishes passed through into the kitchen with a
catsup bottle. ’Listen, bright boy,’ he said from the kitchen to George.
‘Stand a little further along the bar. You move a little to the left, Max.’
He was like a photographer arranging for a group picture.
‘Talk to me, bright boy,’ Max said. ‘What do you think’s
going to happen?’
George did not say anything.
‘I'll tell you,’ Max Said. ‘We’re going to kill a Swede. Do
you know a big Swede named Ole Anderson?
‘Yes.’
‘He comes in here to eat every night, don't he?’
‘Sometimes he comes here.’
‘He comes here at six o’clock, don’t he?
‘If he comes.’
‘We know all that, bright boy,’ Max said. ‘Talk about
something else. Ever go to the movies?’
‘Once in a while.’
‘You ought to go to the movies more. The movies are fine
for a bright boy like you.’
‘What are you going to kill Ole Anderson for? What did he
ever do to you?’
‘He never had a chance to do anything to us. He never even
seen us.’
‘And he’s only going to kill him for, then?’ George asked.
‘We’re killing him for a friend. Just to oblige a friend,
bright boy.’
‘Shut up,’ said Al from the kitchen. ‘You talk too god-dam
much.’
‘Well, I got to keep bright boy amused. Don’t I, bright
boy?’
‘You talk too damn much,’ Al said ‘The nigger and my
bright boy are amused by themselves. I got them tied up like a couple of
girl friends in the convent.’
‘I suppose you were in a convent.’
‘You never know.’
‘You were in a kosher convent. That’s where you were.’
George looked up at the clock.
‘If anybody comes in you tell them the cook is off, and if
they keep after it, you tell them you’ll go back and cook yourself. Do
you get that, bright boy?’
‘Al right,’ George said. ‘What you going to do with us
afterwards?’
‘That’ll depend,’ Max said. ‘That’s one of those thing you
never know at the time.’
George looked up at the clock. It was a quarter past six. The door
from the street opened. A street-car motorman came in.
‘Hello, George,’ he said. ‘Can I get supper?’
‘Sam’s gone out,’ George said. ‘He’ll be back in about half
an hour.’
‘I’d better go up the street,’ the motorman said. George
looked at the clock. It was twenty minutes past six.
‘That was nice, bright boy,’ Max said ‘You’re a regular
little gentleman.’
‘He knew I’d blow his head off,’ Al said from the kitchen.
‘No.’ said Max. ‘It ain’t that. Bright boy is nice. He’s a nice
boy. I like him.’
At six-fifty-five George said: ‘He’s not coming.’
Two other people had been in the lunch-room. Once George had
gone out to the kitchen and made a ham-and-eggs sandwich ‘to go’ that
a man wanted to take with him. Inside the kitchen he saw Al, his derby
hat tilted back, sitting on a stool beside the wicket with the muzzle of a
sawed-off shotgun resting on the ledge. Nick and the cook were back to
back in the corner, a towel tied in each of their mouths. George had
cooked the sandwich, wrapped it up in oiled paper, put it in a bag,
brought it in, and the man had paid for it and gone out.
‘Bright boy can do everything,’ Max said. ‘He can cook and
everything. You’d make some girl a nice wife, bright boy.’
‘Yes?’ George said. ‘Your friend. Ole Anderson, isn’t going
to come.’
‘We’ll give him ten minutes,’ Max said.
Max watched the mirror and the clock. The hands of the clock
marked seven o’clock, and then five minutes past seven.
‘Come on, Al,’ said Max. ‘We better go. He's not coming.’
‘Better give him five minutes,’ Al said from the kitchen.
In the five minutes a man came in, and George explained that the
cook was sick.
‘Why the hell don’t you get another cook?’ the man asked.
‘Aren’t you running a lunch-counter?’ He went out.
‘Come on Al,’ Max Said.
‘What about the two bright boys and the nigger?’
‘They’re all right.’
‘You think so?’
‘Sure. We’re through with it.’
‘I don’t like it,’ said Al. ‘It’s sloppy. You talk too much.’
‘Oh, what the hell,’ said Max. ‘We got to keep amused,
haven’t we?’
‘You talk too much, all the same,’ Al said. He came out
from the kitchen. The cut-off barrels of the shotgun made a slight bulge
under the waist of his too tight-fitting overcoat. He straightened his coat
with his gloved hands.
‘So long, bright boy,’ he said to George. ‘You got a lot of
luck.’
‘That’s the truth,’ Max said. ‘You ought to play the race,
bright boy.’
The two of them went out of the door. George watched them,
through the window; pass under the arc-light, and cross the street. In
their overcoats and derby hats they looked like a vaudeville team.
George went back through the swinging-door into the kitchen and
untied Nick and the cook.
‘I don’t want any more of that,’ said Sam, the cook. ‘I don’t
want any more of that.’
Nick stood up. He had never had a towel in his mouth before.
‘Say,’ he said. ‘What the hell?’ He was trying to swagger it
off.
‘They were going to kill Ole Anderson,’ George said. ‘They
were going to shoot him when he came in to eat.
‘Ole Anderson?’
‘Sure.’
The cook felt the corners of his mouth with his thumbs.
‘They all gone?’ he asked.
‘Yeah,’ said George. ‘They’re gone now.’
‘I don’t like it,’ said the cook. ‘I don’t like any of it at all.’
‘Listen,’ George said to Nick. ‘You better go see Ole
Anderson.’
‘All right.’
‘You better not have anything to do with it at all,’ Sam, the
cook, said. ‘You better stay way it at all,’ Sam, the cook, said. ‘You
better stay way out of it.’
‘Don’t go if you don’t want to,’ George said.
‘Mixing up in this ain’t going to get you anywhere,’ the
cook said. ‘You stay out of it.’
‘I’ll go see him,’ Nick said to George. ‘Where does he live?’
The cook turned away.
‘Little boys always know what they want to do,’ he said.
‘He lives up at Hirsch’s rooming-house,’ George aid to Nick.
‘I’ll go up there.’
Outside, the arc-light shone through the bare branches of a tree.
Nick walked up the street beside the car-tracks and turned at the next
arc-light down a side-street. Three houses up the street was Hirsch’s
rooming-house. Nick walked up the two steps and pushed the bell. A
woman came to the door.
‘Is Ole Anderson here?’
‘Do you want to see him?’
‘Yes, if he’s in,’
Nick followed the woman up a flight of stairs and back to the end
of the corridor. She knocked on the door.
‘Who is it?’
‘It's Nick Adams.’
‘Come In.’
Nick opened the door and went into the room. Ole Anderson was
lying on the bed with all his clothes on. He had been a heavyweight
prize-fighter and he was too long for the bed. He lay with his head on
two pillows. He did not look at Nick.
‘What was it?’
‘I was up at Henry’s,’ Nick said, ’and two fellows came in
and tied up me and the cook, and they said they were going to kill you.’
It sounded silly when he said it. Ole Anderson said nothing.
‘They put us out in the kitchen,’ Nick went on. ‘They were
going to shoot you when you came in to supper.’
Ole Anderson looked at the wall and did not say anything.
‘George thought I’d better come and tell you about it.’
‘There isn’t anything I can do about it,’ Ole Anderson said.
‘I’ll tell you what they were like.’
‘I don’t want to know what they were like,’ Ole Anderson
said. He looked at the wall. ‘Thanks for coming to tell me about it.’
‘That’s all right.’
Nick looked at the big man lying on the bed.
‘Don’t you want me to go and see the police?’
‘No,’ Ole Anderson said. ‘That wouldn’t do any good.’
‘Isn’t there something I could do?’
‘No. There ain’t anything to do.’
‘Maybe it was just a bluff.’
‘No, it ain’t just a bluff.’
Ole Anderson rolled over towards the wall.
‘The only thing is,’ he said, talking towards the wall, ‘I just
can’t make up my mind to go out. I been in here all day.’
‘Couldn’t you get out of town?’
‘No,’ Ole Anderson said. ‘I’m through with all that running
around.’
He looked at the wall.
‘There ain’t anything to do now.’
‘Couldn’t you fix it up some way?'
‘No. I got in wrong.’ He talked in the same flat voice.
‘There ain’t anything to do. After a while I’ll make up my mind to go
out.’
‘I better go back and see George,’ Nick said.
‘So Long,’ Said Ole Anderson. He did not look towards
Nick. ‘Thanks for coming around.’
Nick went out. As he shut the door he saw Ole Anderson with all
his clothes on, lying on the bed looking at the wall.
‘He’s been in his room all day,’ the landlady said
downstairs. ‘I guess he don’t feel well. I said to him: ‘‘Mr. Anderson,
You ought to go out and take a walk on a nice fall day like this,’’ but he
didn’t feel like it.’
‘He doesn’t want to go out.’
‘I’m sorry he don’t feel well,’ the woman said. ’He’s an
awfully nice man. He was in the ring, you know.’
‘I know it.’
‘You’d never know it expect from the way his face is,’ the
woman said. They stood talking just inside the street door. ‘He’s just as
gentle.’
‘Well, good-night, Mrs. Hirsch,’ Nick Said.
‘I’m not Mrs. Hirsch’ the woman said. ‘She owns the place.
I just look after it for her, I’m Mrs. Bell.’
‘Well, Good-night, Mrs. Bell,’ Nick said.
‘Good-night,’ the woman said.
Nick walked up the dark street to the corner under the arc-light,
and then along the car-tracks to Henry’s eating-house. George was
inside, back of the counter.
‘Did you see Ole?
‘Yes,’ Said Nick. ‘He’s in his room and he won’t go out.’
The cook opened the door from the kitchen when he heard Nick’s
voice.
‘I don’t even listen to it,’ he said and shut the door.
‘Did you tell him about it?’ George asked.
‘Sure. I told him, but he knows what it’s all about.’
‘What’s he going to do?’
‘Nothing.’
‘They’ll kill him.’
‘I guess they will.’
‘He must have got mixed up in something in Chicago.’
‘I guess so,’ said Nick.
‘It’s a hell of a thing.’
‘It’s an awful thing,’ Nick said.
They did not say anything. George reached down for a towel and
wiped the counter.
‘I wonder what he did?’ Nick said.
‘Double-crossed somebody. That’s what they kill them for.’
‘I’m going to get out of his town,’ Nick said.
‘Yes,’ said George. ‘That’s a good thing to do.’
‘I can’t stand to think about him waiting in the room and
knowing he’s going to get it. It’s too damned awful.’
‘Well,’ said George, ‘You better not think about it.’